1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in grounding or “earthing” pipes. In particular, but not exclusively, the invention relates to earthing pipes in a central heating system of a building.
2. Related Art
At present, when installing a combination central heating boiler in a building, all piping to and from the boiler must be grounded or “earth bonded”, i.e. connected directly to the ground or earth cable of the electrical system, by law. It is not necessary that the pipes are connected to earth immediately adjacent the boiler, and often the pipes will be grounded or “earth bonded” away from the boiler, for example underneath a sink or wash basin.
The known system of earth bonding the piping is to use an earth bonding clamp. A known earth bonding clamp is of a similar form to the so called Jubilee clip, with an additional screw and washer fastener to grip an electrical cable. Accordingly, the clamp is placed around the pipe and fastened, after which the cable is located between a plate and the washer in the screw fastener portion of the earth clamp. The screw fastener is screwed to increase the tension between the plate and the washer, thereby clamping the cable to the clamp, and hence against the pipe.
The chosen location for the earth bonding clamp is often difficult to access, since the pipework of a building such as a home will necessarily largely be hidden from view. As above described, the earth bonding clamp will often be fitted beneath a sink or wash basin, and the space available to the fitter to manipulate the required tools is limited. In addition, the fitment of the earth bonding clamp is a two-handed job, and the fitter must ensure that the clamp is fitted in a position in which the cable can subsequently be located and held whilst the screw fastener is tightened. Accordingly, the fitment of such an earth bonding clamp is complicated and relatively time-consuming, the whole process taking about two minutes per clamp even for an experienced fitter. In a typical central heating system, six or more pipes go to and from the boiler, so that the time it takes to earth all of the pipes can be about twelve minutes or more.